Shock-absorbing vehicle-spring.



N. LUXEMBOURGER. SHOCK ABSORBING VEHICLE SPRING. APPLICATION FILED MAY29.1909.

979,016. Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

UNITED sTA'irns tearsN1 OFFICE.

NICHOLAS LUXEMBOURGER, OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 BOW SHOCKABSORBING SPRING COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA.

SI-IOCK-ABSORBING VEHICLE-SPRING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS LUXEM- noononn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Santa Ana, in the county of Orange and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-AbsorbingVehicle-Springs, of which the-following is a specification.

My invention has relation-more particularly to a vehicle spring designedto absorb sudden shocks or jars occasioned to a vehicle by reason of itsrapid passage over rough and uneven surfaces, and a main object thereofis to provide a novel form of spring suspension, whereby a cushioningeffect is obtained on an upward as well as a downward movement of thevehicle body.

Another object is to provide a spring suspension that will eliminatesudden longitudinal shocks or jars occasioned by the sudden stoppage ofthe vehicle.

A further object is to provide a spring whose tension may instantly beincreased or diminished as occasion demands.

I accomplish the above objects by means of the spring described hereinand illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which z- Figure 1- isa side elevation of my improved spring illustrating the method ofsuspension on a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the spring asillustrated in Fig. 1.

Heretofore the cushioning effect of vehicle supporting springs of. theusual type has been in a downward vertical direction only, no provisionbeing made for cushioning when the body or frame of the vehicle moves inan upward direction. By means of my improved spring and, novelsuspension means, all shocks occasioned a vehicle body coming in eithera vertical. or longitudinal direction are provided for, thus obviatingthe necessity of providing addi tional shock absorbing mechanisms.

In a practical embodiment of my invention, 5 designates a half ellipticspring formed of a plurality of leaves 6 placed together the reverse ofthe usual leaf springs, the shortest leaf forming the upper face. Thespring 5 is secured by the usual clips 7 to an axle bearing 8, and itslower leaf terminates at either end in an eye bearing 9. Pivotallymounted on bolts 10 that are journaled in bearings 9 are a plurality ofsuspension or connecting rods 11, a pair being Specification of'i'ietters Patent.

Application filed May 29, 1909.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Serial No. 499,188.

secured to each pair of bearings 9. These rods extend inwardly towardeach other, and their ends are pivotally secured to a rod or bearing 12rigidly secured to the under face and projecting beyond the sides of thevehicle body 13, a nut 14: maintaining them from transverse movement.The weight of the vehicle body inclines the rods downwardly from theirpoint of connection to the spring to their point of pivoted attachmentwith bearing pin 12 on the vehicle body. Each rod is preferably dividedat the center thereof, turn buckles of usual type connecting the ends,and permitting an adj ustment of the tension of the spring.

It will be apparent that by pivotally connecting the ends of the springthrough the medium of the suspension rods to a single pivotal point onthe vehicle body, I am enabled to obtain the maximum cushioningefliciency of the spring to its fullest extent, any upward movement ofthe body 13 oocasioned by sudden shocks to the vehicle we erting acentral pull on the connecting rods or radius rods 11, and forcing theends of the springs inwardly toward each other. A similar inwardmovement occurs upon a depression of the body, as clearly indicated inFig. 1 of the drawings. Any lateral strains or shocks are also providedfor by this suspension arrangement. It will also be observed that bypivotally attaching the spring at one point to the vehicle body that anyshock or jars that it may be subjected to will cause the body tooscillate above or below its normal resting position correspending tothe position illustrated in the drawings, the ends of the springs beingalways drawn together, thu's utilizing to the fullest extent the entiretension of the spring.

Attention is called to the fact that in the normal position of the bodythe axes of all the pivotal connections are substantially in alinement,and attention is also called to the fact that the forces acting in therods 11 are always tensile forces.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is rods attached to the ends of said springs andpivotally attached to the sides of said body, the point of attachment ofsaid springs to said body being in line with the point of connectionbetween said radius rods and said springs, whereby an upward or downwardmovement of said body will flex said bow-springs.

2. In combination, an axle, bow-springs supported on said axle, a wagonbody mounted between said springs and adapted to move into the spacebetween said springs when said body is depressed, laterally projectingpins mounted on the sides of said body, radius rods pivotally attachedto the ends of said springs and pivotally attached to said pins, saidpins bein normally in line with the pivotal connections between saidradius rods and said springs, whereby an upward or downward movement ofsaid body will flex said springs.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 20th,

day of Way, 1909.

NICHOLAS LUXEMBOURGER. \Vitnesses EDMUND A. STRAUSE, MYRTLE A. PALMER.

